An intriguing read by a Canadian first time author who confronts with deep compassion the struggles of big families in the wilderness whose number one strength is self reliance. It touches on the rivalries and comaraderie between spouses and friends via spare description and crisp, concise conversation.

“Drawing on wisdom and whimsy of astonishing grace and maturity, Hooper has written an irresistibly enchanting debut novel that explores mysteries of love old and new, the loyalty of animals and dependency of humans, the horrors of war and perils of loneliness, and the tenacity of time and fragility of memory.” – Booklist Starred Review

“Debut novelist Hooper’s spare, evocative prose dips in and out of reality and travels between past and present…This is a quietly powerful story whose dreamlike quality lingers long after the last page is turned.” – Library Journal Starred Review

Two delightfully humorous and “veddy” British short stories which deal with the strange nature of possessions or the lack thereof. In the first story, Mr. and Mrs. Ransome return from a night out at the opera only to find that all of their possessions have been stolen, even the roll of toilet paper. Who will they become without the belongings that they have accumulated over the years?

The second story, to be released later in 2015 as a movie starring Maggie Smith, is laugh-out-loud funny. What would you do if a very eccentric mature woman parked her van in your driveway, refused to move and stayed for fifteen years. This book will lift your spirits on a rainy day!

“The Clothes They Stood Up In…... is a completely charming entertainment: a small gem by one of Britain’s most versatile and gifted writers.” -Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“Sharp…a happy evening’s read and a tantalizing mental challenge to those of us who, like the Ransomes, find [our] lives encumbered and [our] senses blunted by too much stuff.” -Brooke Allen, The New York Times Book Review

Historical fiction at its best. Three brothers you won’t forget. A love story so deep that even the one you have known seems somehow less. I was ready to book a trip to Budapest after reading only half the book only to realize that this mesmerizing Budapest, alas, is never to be again. The Hungarian Jewish WWII experience was so different than those of other countries. Be thunderstruck!

“To bring an entire lost world—its sights, its smells, its heartaches, raptures and terrors—to vivid life between the covers of a novel is an accomplishment; to invest that world, and everyone who inhabits it, with a soul, as Julie Orringer does in The Invisible Bridge, takes something more like genius.” —Michael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

“The word ‘epic’ seems inadequate to describe Julie Orringer’s phenomenal first novel, The Invisible Bridge. You don’t so much read it as live it. . . . Profoundly moving. . . . This is one that cries for you to linger over it, page by enthralling page.” —Financial Times

“Orringer avoids pathos and has a gift for re-creating distant times and places: a Paris suffused with the scent of paprikas and the sounds of American jazz, the camraderies and cruelties of the work camps. The ticking clock of history keeps it urgent and moving forward, and the result is, against all odds, a Holocaust page-turner.” —New York magazine

The calm and quiet life of A. J. Fikry, a curmudgeonly widower living on an island off the coast of New England, is dramatically transformed when an orphan child is left in his bookstore.

In addition to a sweet and charming story about the love of reading, the reader will come away with a new list of books to read. Zevin uses an unusual device to introduce new characters in her novel. Rather than describing people by their physical characteristics, she describes characters in terms of what they read and their personal reading experiences. Which three books would define your character?

“The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us what saves us all from a life of loneliness and isolation: our sense of empathy; our ability to love and be loved; our willingness to care and be cared for. Gabrielle Zevin has written a wonderful, moving, endearing story of redemption and transformation that will sing in your heart for a very, very long time.” —Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“In this sweet, uplifting homage to bookstores, Zevin perfectly captures the joy of connecting people and books . . . Filled with interesting characters, a deep knowledge of bookselling, wonderful critiques of classic titles, and very funny depictions of book clubs and author events, this will prove irresistible to book lovers everywhere.” —Booklist